KEY POINTS:
POTCHEFSTROOM - New Zealand offered only brief resistance on the final day of their tour cricket match against South Africa A in Potchefstroom today as they slid to defeat by 85 runs.
Chasing 358 for victory, New Zealand went into the final day on 230 for six, but lost their last four wickets in 20 overs to be all out for 272.
Their hopes of snatching a remarkable comeback victory - they had trailed by 251 runs in the first innings - rested largely on Ross Taylor, who was on 79 not out.
But Taylor was dismissed in the fifth over of the day for 86 when Boeta Dippenaar held a fine catch in the gully off Friedel de Wet and the tail was exposed.
Fast bowler De Wet struck for the ninth time in the match when he had Shane Bond caught by Dippenaar at second slip for six and the spinners then came on to wrap up the innings.
Captain Daniel Vettori had battled gamely for nearly two hours but there was to be no dramatic victory for the tourists as the left-hander was the last man out, failing to read left-arm googly from bowler Gulam Bodi and being bowled for 30.
Overall, it had been another brave fightback by the New Zealand middle-order after they had been 67 for five.
The top order is certainly the sector that is causing the most concern heading into the first test against South Africa, which starts on Thursday in Johannesburg.
Four days of hard work in the nets lies ahead for the New Zealanders, with coach John Bracewell and a handful of players heading that way straight after the game.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa A
First innings 443
Second innings 106
New Zealand
First innings 192
Second innings
C Cumming b Langeveldt 14
M Papps lbw b Tsotsobe 22
L Vincent lbw b Kleinveldt 8
S Styris c van Wyk b Tsotsobe 0
R Taylor c Dippenaar b De Wet 86
J Oram lbw b Tsotsobe 9
B McCullum b De Wet 77
D Vettori b Bodi 30
S Bond c Dippenaar b De Wet 6
I O'Brien b Duminy 6
C Martin not out 1
Extras (2b, 3lb, 2w, 6nb) 13
Total (all out, 79 overs) 272
Fall: 24, 46, 46, 51, 67, 206, 239, 255, 268, 272
Bowling: F de Wet 23-3-76-3 (1nb), C Langeveldt 20-10-58-1 (1nb), L Tsotsobe 14-1-53-3 (1nb, 1w), R Kleinveldt 9-2-40-1 (1nb, 1w), T Tshabalala 5-0-27-0, N McKenzie 5-1-6-0, J Duminy 2-0-3-1, G Bodi 1-0-4-1 (2nb).
Result: South Africa A won by 85 runs
- NZPA
